Cyber Monday
by thequillofimagination
Summary: Clara mysteriously wakes up in the TARDIS with no recollection of how she got there. She suspects the Doctor is up to something, but it turns out that much darker forces are at play... written with timeyladyclara -authors on hiatus. Infrequent updates until further notice, sorry!
1. Chapter 1

Clara blinked. She was laid on the floor of the TARDIS, which was odd. She could've sworn that she was in the staff room at school, marking some of year nine's work, as she usually did in her free period on a Monday. She sat up shakily.  
>The Doctor stood by the console, tinkering with this and that, when he heard Clara moving.<p>

"Oh, you're awake," he said in surprise. Clara stood up, frowning confusedly.

"Doctor?" she said. "What happened?" The Doctor shook his head slowly.  
>"I'm... not really sure to be quite honest. Thought maybe it was something you'd done," he shrugged, turning back to the console. Clara walked to stand next him at the console and crossed her arms.<p>

"What, so it's just a coincidence that I happen to have mysteriously woken up in the TARDIS? With no recollection of what's happened, might I add," she said . The Doctor blinked at her and raised his eyebrows.  
>"Well... it is a little odd I must say. Maybe the TARDIS is faulty," he muttered, glancing up at the top of the console. "You okay old girl?"<br>The TARDIS made a soft hum in response and he looked back at Clara in confusion.  
>"She seems okay." Clara raised her (admittedly less impressive) eyebrows back at him.<p>

"_She _seems okay? What about me? I just passed out and woke up in your time machine! Surely that's cause for concern?" The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver with a sigh.  
>"You're worrying too much, Clara," he said quietly, rolling her name on his tongue. He scanned her with the screwdriver and then hummed thoughtfully.<p>

Clara shook her head.

"No, Doctor, I think I'm worrying just about the right amount. I think you, on the other hand, seem suspiciously calm. What's really going on?" The Doctor began walking around the console, trying not to look like he was keeping his distance from her. An angry Clara was not a fun Clara.  
>"I'm not being suspiciously calm," he said defensively. "But I may worry a little more now... have you possibly eaten anything... for loss of a better word 'alien' recently?" he said from the other side of the console. Clara followed him around the console.<p>

"When would I have eaten anything alien? I mean apart from when I'm with you? And what do you mean you're worried now? What did the screwdriver say?" She cringed a little at the phrase "what did the screwdriver say?" but stared him out regardless. The Doctor grimaced.  
>"Well... it's like something I've seen before so that's good. Somehow you've gotten these sort of particles inside of you. The type I've encountered before were called Huon particles. My friend Donna was dosed with them," he rambled. He noticed Clara's slightly worried expression<p>

"They're not dangerous!"

"Well what are they then?" she asked. "What are they doing... in me?"

The Doctor skimmed past Clara.  
>You're asking a lot of questions... think of them like a magnet, pulling you somewhere. We just need to find where that 'somewhere' is. The TARDIS obviously brought you here to let me help you," he mumbled, walking up the stairs to his bookshelves.<p>

Clara followed him up the stairs.  
>"Well how did they get there? And of course I'm asking a lot of questions, Doctor, I've turned into a giant magnet!" She knew as soon as she said it that he was going to say something to correct her, so she gave him a look that said 'don't you dare'. She was NOT in the mood<p>

The Doctor opened his mouth but closed it as soon as he saw her expression.  
>"I don't know... that's why I asked if you've eaten anything. My friend Donna had it in her coffee, but it normally takes a good few months to make a difference," he hummed, scanning through a handful of books. "I'll fix it."<p>

Clara nodded.  
>"Good," she said. "So... What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Just sit around here and hope I don't get transported anywhere else?"<p>

The Doctor nodded.  
>"Yes, exactly. You've caught on very quickly," he smirked, almost patting her head but refraining from fear of losing his hand. He passed her a pile of books instead.<br>"You could always help by reading through these," he said, adding another book to the already hefty pile, causing Clara's face to disappear from view.

Clara shifted under the weight of the books and leaned around them to see the Doctor.  
>"Right. Very helpful. I'll just save myself shall I? And in the meantime I suppose the ghost of teachers past will mark year nine's English homework."<p>

The Doctor rolled his eyes, making sure he was facing away from her.  
>"I'm going to help you by reading these," he hissed, nodding to another large pile. "And we're in a time machine, Clara, the English homework is not urgent."<br>Clara plonked the books down on the floor and sat down next to them.  
>"Fine," she sighed. "But I-" And then she was gone.<p>

The Doctor spun around and stared at the space where Clara had just stood.  
>"Clara?" He called, gliding down the stairs and circling the console room.<br>"Clara?!" He halted, his hands clutching the console.  
>"I'll find you," he growled, getting his screwdriver out and setting to work.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Clara opened her eyes blearily, a feeling of déjà vu sweeping over her.

"Doctor?" she called. She looked around her. She was in what looked like some sort of futuristic ship, all lights and buttons. And she wasn't alone.

The Doctor made a shushing sound as he stepped out of the shadows.  
>"We need to stay very quiet, Clara, I'm not particularly sure where we are. The TARDIS dropped me off here and then de-materialised," he whispered, helping her to her feet. He had a bad feeling about this place.<p>

Clara looked around.  
>"I bet it's that bloody ship trying to get rid of me. It's never liked me." She peered around the room again, trying to work out what it was. The Doctor scowled at her.<br>"Doctor? Is it just me or does the design of this ship look familiar?" she asked warily.

The Doctor was still scowling at Clara for her comment, but at her words he began glancing around the room, finally taking in its appearance.  
>"Yes," he gulped. "We need to get out of here."<p>

"Well, how do we get the TARDIS back then?" she hissed. She doubted that lowering her voice would stop them from knowing they were there, but she wasn't taking any chances. As far as _they_ were concerned, the further away you were, the better.

The Doctor was about to retaliate, when he heard something coming. He grabbed Clara's wrist as pulled her down a corridor with him.  
>"Maybe not back to the TARDIS yet but let's at least hide somewhere and reduce our chances of death," he hissed, when they were finally a safe distance from the other being.<p>

They hurried along another corridor, until they came across what looked like the door to a cupboard. Clara stopped and opened the door. She only realised her mistake when she realised that it was not a cupboard. It was a storage unit. For thousands of them.

The Doctor grabbed Clara's shoulders and pulled her backwards.  
>"Not good," he mumbled. "Run!"<br>He began running but realised she wasn't following. What was up with her? He dashed back to her side and poked her arm.  
>"Come on," he hissed, but she remained rooted to the spot, staring at the (for now) deactivated Cybermen.<br>"I know, I know, Cybermen. P.E. But we need to go before they activate," he pleaded.

She stared at the room of Cybermen, mesmerised.  
>"Danny. Danny!" She whipped around to face the Doctor. "Think about it. You said those particle things are like a magnet, drawing me to one thing. And who would want to draw me to them? Danny would! And before you give me those big old eyes and tell me I'm wrong, that Danny is dead, I know, I <em>know<em>, but I can just tell. It's him, Doctor. It's him." Her eyes shone as she looked at him.

The Doctor bit his lip and frowned at her.  
>"But, Clara, it <em>can't<em> be him, and you know it. I don't know what's going on but this isn't some fairytale where he comes gallivanting back to you like a knight in... well, in shining armour," he said quietly. "We need to get away from here. Now."  
>He turned around and began walking away, waiting for her to follow. He wouldn't admit it aloud, for fear of hurting Clara, but he preferred the boy to be dead.<p>

Clara watched him walk off, her eyes sparkling with tears. She knew that Danny was dead: but with just as much certainty, she knew that he was connected to this somehow. She turned to close the door to the Cyberman storage unit and almost screamed.  
>"Doctor! Doctor, they're moving!" She slammed the doors shut and ran to catch up with him.<p>

The Doctor had stopped round the corner, waiting for her, but at her shout he sprinted back, almost running into her. She grabbed his hand and they ran, not really sure where they were headed, but just as far from that storage unit as possible. She followed him down the corridor, panting, her eyes still slightly damp.  
>"Doctor, I'm sorry, I-" she cut her sentence short as they rounded a corner and came face to face with one of their foes.<p>

The Doctor stared at the Cyberman, his hand giving Clara's a firm squeeze.  
>"Do you think it's seen us?" He whispered, but quickly got his answer.<p>

"UNAUTHORISED ACCESS," the tin voice rang as it's hollow eyes 'stared' at them.

Clara slipped her hand into the pocket of the Doctor's coat and pulled out the psychic paper, her mind working furiously. She held up the paper in front of the Cyberman, giving it time to scan it.  
>"We are authorised," she said, as confidently as she could. "We have unrestricted access to this area." She wanted to glance at the Doctor to see if he was going along with it, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the Cyberman. The Doctor nodded along with her statement.<br>"Yes, I'm rather surprised you were not aware of this," he said sternly to the Cyberman, holding back a smile at Clara's quick thinking.  
>The Cyberman seemed conflicted (if an expressionless robot alien can have emotions), but appeared to believe them.<br>"YOUR AUTHORISATION IS ACCEPTED," its voice rang.  
>The Doctor let out a sigh of relief as it marched past them without any question.<br>"Okay, that worked this time, but I doubt it will again," he whispered to Clara as they quickly walked away, plucking his psychic paper from Clara's hand. Clara raised her eyebrows.  
>"How about an "oh thank you Clara, you saved our lives"?" They started back down the corridor. "Without me, mister, you would've been toast."<p>

The Doctor glanced down at her. Her arms were crossed and there was an unimpressed look on her face.  
>"Thank you," he mumbled.<br>They walked aimlessly for a few more minutes before the Doctor stopped them, scanning the air with his screwdriver.  
>"No lifeforms within close proxim- oh there she is!" He exclaimed as the sonic buzzed, indicating his TARDIS was nearby.<p>

"Great!" said Clara. "Let's be off, shall we?" She knew as soon as she said it that it wouldn't be that simple. The Doctor had that look in his eye: that "there's something going on here and I want to find out what" look.

The Doctor shook his head.  
>"No, Clara. There's a reason you've been brought here remember, and I think we should find out what that is," he said gruffly.<br>Clara nodded, resigned. She knew that travelling with the Doctor was never going to be easy. Besides, she wanted to find out what was happening with these particle things.  
>"We should still get to the TARDIS though, right? Just so we're a bit safer," she said.<p>

The Doctor gave a brief nod.  
>"Probably best. I can give you a thorough scan in there after all." He held his screwdriver to his ear and listened to the buzzing as he began walking.<p>

Clara walked along with him.

"You've already scanned me, Doctor. You said it was those- huey particles or whatever. Why should there be anything different now?"

The Doctor spun around and looked her up and down.  
>"Because we're on the ship now. They're active. They can hopefully lead us directly to the source, and where there's a source, there are answers," he said swiftly. "Now come on."<p>

She followed him, rolling her eyes. She knew he was probably right (he usually was) but it sometimes got on her nerves how he just assumed he was.

They walked a little further until the Doctor halted by a right turn, stalking down it. It opened up into a larger room, the TARDIS standing in the middle of it.  
>"Hello, old girl," he said softly, stroking the door before pushing it open and beckoning Clara to follow.<p>

She followed him into the TARDIS, relieved to be in a familiar (and hopefully safe) place.

"Right," she said, "Where do we start?"


	3. Chapter 3

Clara took a deep breath as she closed the TARDIS doors behind her .

"We know that it's these particle things, and we know that Cybermen are involved. That should give us some sort of starting point, right?" she said.

The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her closer to the console.  
>"Stay," he ordered, before sweeping past her and rummaging under the console.<br>He came back up with some wires, connecting them to the control board and then walking back to Clara, taking her wrist and sticking one of the wires on the back of her hand. He repeated the action with her other hand and finally stuck a wire on the middle of her forehead.

"I'm not a dog, you know," she said, annoyed. She rocked back slightly as he stuck the wire on her head. "What are these for?" she asked, glancing down at the wires on her hands.

"Decoration," the Doctor chuckled, poking the wire on her forehead to make sure it was firmly stuck and receiving a deadly glare from Clara. "Joking! They're to scan your body in more detail, showing data for your basic functions. Thermal imaging, heart rate etcetera. Basically, I want to see where and how these particles are affecting you, so I can source them."

Clara harrumphed.

"Well, as long as you're actually doing something and you're not going to just leave me here looking silly."

The Doctor caught her eye.  
>"Oh, of course, where's my camera?" He said sarcastically.<br>He began fiddling with the controls, humming once the results began showing.  
>"Well... that's odd. The particles don't actually seem to be <strong>inside<strong> you after all. But when I scanned you, they were on your person," he muttered in confusion.

Clara frowned.

"How do you mean? Like they're on my clothes?" She had to admit, it was somewhat of a relief that these things weren't inside her.

The Doctor walked back to her and frowned at her.  
>"Possibly, but then again, these particles are shown to be fairly old. Also it couldn't be guaranteed you'd wear these very clothes today. No... it's got to be something else you have on you every day."<p>

Clara thought for a second and then her hand flew to her necklace.

"It couldn't be... jewellery, could it?" she said, holding up the chain, the pendant dangling between them. The Doctor leaned forward and raised his eyebrows.  
>"I don't see why not. Do you mind?" He asked, holding his hand out for her to drop it into.<p>

She dropped the pendant into his hand.

"Doctor," she said quietly. "Danny gave me this necklace. I know he's dead, and I know that's it's almost impossible, but don't you think it's too much of a coincidence to ignore?"

The Doctor stared at the pendant, scanning it with his screwdriver.  
>"I don't believe in coincidences," he said simply. "Especially not when this is definitely the source of the particles and they're definitely from this ship. Never trust a Cyberman, Clara," he said gravely.<p>

Clara pulled the wires off her hands.

"So you're saying... this is definitely Danny? He's trying to get in touch with me?" She pulled the wire off her forehead. "If that's true... Doctor, we could still save him!" She stared at him, a triumphant smile on her face.

The Doctor let out a disgruntled sigh.  
>"Clara, I don't... I don't want you getting your hopes up. It's practically impossible for him to be alive. He hasn't in fact been alive since that car hit hi-" he trailed off when he saw Clara's bottom lip start to tremble. "I'm sorry."<p>

Clara steeled herself. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine. But just from a purely academic view- it is likely that Danny has something to do with this, isn't it?" She surveyed him carefully.

The Doctor took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.  
>"I do believe so. If not him directly, it's at least someone using him," he said quietly.<p>

Clara tried not to show her excitement. "Well then, we have to find him! And find out why he needs me." She knew that the Doctor didn't like Danny; She felt a little guilty, but she just needed to know.

The Doctor bit his lip as Clara started heading for the doors. He really didn't want her getting her hopes up. He didn't want her to go through the pain of losing Danny all over again. Reluctantly, he followed her.

She strode to the doors purposefully and flung them open. She stopped short.

"Danny?" The Doctor stopped just behind Clara, his hand hovering over her back, just not touching her, but enough to show he was there.  
>"Clara, be careful," he whispered.<p>

Clara heard the Doctor come up behind her, but couldn't stop staring at Danny's face. It feel surreal to be seeing him. She repeated his name again.

"Danny?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Danny?"

The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed. "He doesn't seem to be able to talk," he noted quietly, glancing at Clara and then back at Danny. He was just staring at Clara.

Clara didn't seem to register the Doctor's words. "Danny?" she repeated for a second time. She stared at him for a minute before realising that something was wrong. "Danny!" she said more urgently. She whipped round to face the Doctor. "Doctor, what's wrong with him?"

The Doctor stared down at her with wide eyes and shrugged. "I- I don't know."  
>'Danny' then began to move, walking away from them, back down the corridor, but not before beckoning Clara to follow.<p>

Clara glanced back at the Doctor as she followed Danny, raising her eyebrows to encourage him to follow. She knew that in all likelihood, she was walking into a trap, but she just couldn't leave him again.

The Doctor slowly followed her, clicking his fingers for the TARDIS doors to shut. "Clara, be careful," he whispered gruffly

"I'm being as careful as I can be, Doctor, but I can't leave him!" she hissed back, not wanting to disturb any other Cybermen who might not treat them as well.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Control freak," he mumbled under his breath as he followed her, feeling a bit like a dog.

Eventually they reached a door, which Danny paused in front of. He hadn't said a word for the whole journey, and Clara was really getting worried. He punched in a passcode and the doors slid open. Clara gasped.

The Doctor looked up from the floor and stopped just behind her. About a dozen active Cybermen were walking around the control room.  
>"This looks... fun," he muttered<p>

Clara fell back a little to stand next to the Doctor. "What do we do?" she said, panic bubbling under her calm(ish) exterior.

The Doctor scanned the room, none of the Cybermen seemed particularly interested in them as Danny walked over to an area of the control panel.  
>"Keep your eyes open for any change in their behaviour," he whispered.<p>

Clara nodded and folded her arms tighter. She knew it wouldn't make any difference, but she was terrified. She kept as close to the Doctor as she could as they followed Danny over to the control panel.

The Doctor looked at the control panel, not daring to take out his sonic to scan it. The room looked like a typical Cyberman control room. Danny clearly wasn't Danny anymore. He was one of them.

Clara felt the Doctor's hand grip her wrist, and turned to face him. His eyebrows wiggled emphatically, and she could tell that he wanted them to leave.

The Doctor began leading them away slowly, backing out of the room. They were almost out, when Clara bumped into a passing Cyberman, making them both trip. The room went silent and all 'eyes' were on them.

Clara paused, and glanced at the Doctor.

"Run?" she asked.

The Doctor nodded, jumping to his feet and pulling her up to.  
>"Run!" He exclaimed and they got out as fast as they could. "To the TARDIS."<p>

They raced back down the corridors, the Doctor seeming to instinctively remember the way back to the TARDIS. It soon became clear, however, that he didn't, because they ended up at a dead end. They swung back around to see the Cybermen marching after them. Clara rounded on the Doctor. "Well this is just brilliant, isn't it? Now what do we do?"

The Doctor glanced around frantically.  
>"Don't get snarky with me," he snapped before looking down.<br>He pushed Clara aside and knelt on the floor, whipping out his screwdriver and moving it over the grate. It quickly came lose and he threw it aside.  
>"Clara, jump."<p>

She glanced at the Cybermen advancing, and jumped. She landed on something hard, and quickly rolled out of the way so that the Doctor wouldn't hit her.

The Doctor followed her, grabbing the grate before he did and letting it fall into the hole as he went through it.  
>He hit the floor and sat up instantly, looking over to find Clara leant up on her elbows beside him.<p>

She looked up. "They won't be able to get to us now, will they?" she whispered, the hushed noise echoing.

The Doctor shook his head.  
>"Not unless they can get into the vents... let's not jinx it, ay?"<p>

Clara stood up and dusted off her skirt. "So where do we go from here?" she asked. "Obviously following Danny was a bad move, but I still want to know why I'm here."

The Doctor got to his feet and hummed thoughtfully.  
>"Well, the Cybermen are presumably still looking for us. Clueless species, those lot. So the control room may be quiet. Let's try to find it by going through this vent system."<p>

Clara nodded, and turned back the way she thought the control room was. The Doctor gently took her by the shoulders and rotated her around 180 degrees. She frowned. "I knew it was that way. I was... I was just checking the coast was clear."

The Doctor chuckled. "Of course you were."


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor chuckled. "Of course you were."  
>He kept his hands on her shoulders as they walked through unknown and darkened corridors, well the Doctor more crouching since he was a little too tall for the low ceiling.<p>

They walked for what seemed an age, the Doctor keeping his hands on Clara's shoulders. Clara was starting to feel a little claustrophobic in the small, dark space, when they came across another vent. She looked at the Doctor. "Is this the one?"

The Doctor looked up at the vent, hitting his head on a pipe.  
>"Ow," he hissed while Clara tried to fight back giggle.<br>He scowled at her as he scanned the room above.  
>"Seems like it. Our DNA is registering as having been in the room. It seems empty, let's go," he said in a hushed voice as he pushed the grate.<p>

Clara climbed up through the vent. As the Doctor had predicted, the control room was empty, and they moved straight over to one of the control panels. "So what exactly are we looking for?" she said.

The Doctor gave her a blank stare. "I don't... actually know," he said quietly, feeling Clara getting a little frustrated with him.

Clara sighed. "Well, scan it as quickly as you can," she said, looking over her shoulder. "They could come back any time,"

The Doctor nodded and scanned the room. His sonic beeped and he checked it. "Oh, there's some particles stored over there that are like the ones in your pendant," he said, walking over to a cupboard.

"How convenient," muttered Clara as he opened the cupboard door. "What does that actually mean? We already knew that they must be the ones drawing me here. What we need to know is why."

The Doctor spun around. "No... I don't think you understand, Clara. There's a storage of the particles. At least a whole cupboard of the darn things. That's way too much than needed for you. This doesn't just involve you, Clara... I think they're trying to bring more people here," he said quietly.

Clara parted her lips confusedly. "What do they need people for?" As she said it, the realisation hit her. "Are they- are they bringing people here to convert them?"

The Doctor gave her a grimace. "I believe so. They use items of dead and now converted loved ones and then once the person gets here, their dead loved one is the one leading them to their own death," he said.  
>Suddenly, the sound of stomping feet could be heard. "They're coming back," he hissed.<p>

Clara rushed across the room and pushed the Doctor into the cupboard, shutting herself in with him just as the first Cyberman entered the room.

The Doctor was pressed against the shelves with Clara crushed against his chest. "Well... this is um-" he started, only to be shut up by Clara's hushing.

Clara tried her hardest to ignore the fact that she could feel both of the Doctor's hearts beating, and tried to concentrate instead on what the Cybermen were saying.

The Doctor listened closely as well.

"Are the subjects prepared?" asked one cold voice.  
>"In approximately twenty two minutes they will be boarding. We must find the girl and the Time Lord," the other replied.<br>The Doctor scowled. They knew who he was. That wasn't good.

Clara looked at the Doctor, about to whisper about the "subjects", before hearing the metallic slap of a Cyberman walking towards them. Her eyes widened with panic.

The Doctor tried slumping back against the shelves but to no avail. They were well and truly trapped. He felt Clara's hand grip at his tightly.

She gripped his hand even tighter, and they both blinked in the light as the Cyberman pulled back the door. Clara found herself staring into Danny's face once again. She shook her head slightly, silently pleading with him not to give them away.

The Doctor tensed up, waiting for their eminent exposure, but the Cyberman seemed... conflicted. Instead, it just stared at them.

She gripped his hand even tighter, and they both blinked in the light as the Cyberman pulled back the door. Clara found herself staring into Danny's face once again. She shook her head slightly, silently pleading with him not to give them away.

The Doctor tensed up, waiting for their eminent exposure, but the Cyberman seemed... conflicted. Instead, it just stared at them.

Clara glanced at the Doctor, and then back at Danny.  
>A beat passed, and Danny closed the cupboard door.<br>"There is no relevant equipment in this location," they heard him say through the door.  
>Clara let out a sigh of relief.<p>

The Doctor was still staring forward in shock. "What just happened?" He whispered. It was almost as if Danny did still have some consciousness.

She looked back at him and shook her head slightly.  
>"I don't know," she breathed .<p>

The Doctor grimaced as he tried to move. His back was getting a little stiff now.  
>"I hope we can get out of here soon," he mumbled.<p>

No sooner had he spoken than they heard the Cybermen march out of the room. Clara pushed the door open cautiously.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief as they got out of the cupboard, stretching as soon as he could move his hands.  
>"Let's go back into the vents where it's safer."<p>

Clara nodded and headed over to the ventilation grate they had climbed out of. She pulled it off, when she heard the Doctor caution her.

The Doctor stepped forwards and scanned the hole with his Sonic Screwdriver.  
>"I need to check it's safe," he informed her. He scanned the vent, and the device beeped.<p>

"What does that mean?" asked Clara .

The Doctor stepped back from the vent and raised his eyebrows at her.  
>"Humans," he said simply.<p>

She folded her arms.

"What is that supposed to mean? I can't tell what your screwdriver is saying from a single beep, and there's no need to insult my whole ra-" She cut herself off as she realised her mistake.

"Oh," she said, "you meant that there are humans down there, didn't you?"

The Doctor nodded slowly.  
>"Yes, Clara," he said, trying to refrain from rolling his eyes. "The humans are clearly here now, and possibly being stored in the vents... I don't know, let's find out," he grinned before jumping down the vent.<p>

Clara hesitated, and then jumped down after him.

"So how exactly would they be... stored in the vents?" she asked .

The Doctor laughed.  
>"I didn't particularly mean stored within them, rather just... in a.. ah a frozen state within the corridors," he said, rushing to the left where he could see the silhouette of a person.<p>

"And you coul- are you even listening?" He said to the stranger in irritation. "Completely blank," he sighed, turning his head to Clara.

Clara was staring at the person.

"Doctor..." she said. "I don't think...I don't think they're alive."

The Doctor already had his screwdriver out and was scanning the frozen female.

"They're not dead... just not particularly alive either. Sort of in a state of... hibernation?"

Clara crouched next to the woman.

"How is that possible? Is it like cryogenics?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed.

"Well... yes, that's exactly what it is."

Clara grinned.

"Not too shabby for a human, eh?" Her expression grew serious again. "So what does this actually mean? Why have the Cybermen frozen them?"

The Doctor shrugged.

"That I do not know"

Just then, a loud white-noise type sound began to go off and the bodies began to move.

"But I think we're about to find out," he said loudly over the constant noise.

Clara jumped up and stood next to the Doctor.

"We need to get out of here," she said.

The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder.

"No... we need to follow them," he said darkly.

She looked up at him and sighed.

"You do know that all this is going to do is take us to more Cybermen, who are going to try and kill us again, right?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"We never run when people need help. Remember?"

"I know!" she said, "I'm not saying we should run. I just think we should... proceed with caution."

The Doctor nodded.

"We shall. Ready?" He asked softly, the noise quieter now.

Clara took a deep breath.

"As I'll ever be. Let's go." They followed the last of the people through the dank vent.

The Doctor let Clara go in front of him and leant down to whisper to her.

"Act like them, it'll make us more inconspicuous."

Clara nodded surreptitiously, and tried to keep her body as limp as possible. She trudged along behind the half-dead men and women, trying to see anything new through the gloom.

Ahead of them, a light was shining. They were obviously getting close to the main hub of the ship. The Doctor tried to not tense.

Clara slit her eyes, trying not to look at the light. Suddenly, the line stopped moving. Clara, caught unawares, carried on for half a step too long and slammed into the man in front of her. She could almost feel the Doctor rolling his eyes as the man turned around.

The man seemed to have been brought back to consciousness by the jolt. He seemed startled and looked like he was about to yell. The Doctor rushed forwards and placed his hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet if you want to survive," he hissed.

The man's eyes flicked wildly from the Doctor to Clara. Clara looked guiltily back at him, knowing that if this man died, she'd be the reason he'd be conscious for it. Finally, the man nodded and the Doctor removed his hand

.The Doctor glanced around to make sure there were no Cybermen nearby.

"I know this sounds bizarre, but you're in an alien ship, being taken to your death." Clara jabbed him at that.

"Oi," he hissed at her. "But if you stay quiet and act... like them, you have a better chance of surving. We're going to help you all," he whispered to the man.

Clara rolled her eyes at the Doctor and turned to face the man again. "Don't worry," she whispered. "We're going to find a way to sort this all out. But for now, you just have to play along." She could hear the metallic clunk of a Cyberman making its way towards them from the front of the line.

They all slipped back into position, acting as still as possible, although the Doctor could see the man visibly shaking. He gritted his teeth and hoped for the best.

The Cyberman reached the man and paused.

"You will follow the other subjects to the testing area." It ordered. The man didn't reply, and after another pause, the Cybermen moved on to Clara. It stared at her, eerily silent.

The Doctor held his breath, preparing for the worst. He almost sighed in relief when the Cyberman moved on from Clara, but as it moved to him, it was obvious it wasn't going to be that easy.

"You do not register as human," it said in an eerie voice.

Clara's breath caught, and she clenched her fists. She winced as the Doctor cheerfully replied "No, that's probably because I'm not."


End file.
